Reflections on Davos

This past week world leaders–both political, corporate, and intellectual–came together in Davos, Switzerland to discuss the eco-socio-economic state of the world and to present ideas for corporations, NGOs and other world organizations. In its Davos Special Report, BusinessWeek quotes Lenovo CEO, William J. Amelio and his “world-sourcing” philosophy. Says Amelio, “You operate as if there’s just one time zone….And you’re always on.”

As global leaders who manage the human resources in these organizations, you know the intricacies of world sourcing only too well. This series of articles offers fascinating insights into some of the cultural changes brought about by globalization:
Managing the Global Workforce
Case Study: For L’Oreal Recruiting is just a big game.
The Right Perks
People Movers
Young and Impatient

For example, the impact of the new-found opportunities and affluence in India is creating a younger generation that is questioning some of the very foundations of the society, such as arranged marriage and traditional gender roles. So, now not only do we need to become sensitive to the cultural differences we encounter as we move from culture to culture, but there are clearly generational differences that will have an impact on how we interact with our employees and colleagues from these countries.

-Mike